Luck of draw favours English clubs in game of percentages

Sometimes one simple fact can illuminate so much. I am sitting here staring at a ranking of all the clubs in Europe. It is split into two – the attack rating and the defence rating. I am familiar with this sort of table – it’s the bread and butter of Fink Tank. It is based on two years of goals scored and conceded, a measure then weighted to improve its predictability.

But this table has one striking feature, a fact I wasn’t familiar with. So, yes, there’s Real Madrid at the top of the attack ratings. And yes, there’s Barcelona and then Manchester United. But hang on a second, who’s this in fourth place? Tottenham Hotspur? You’re kidding.